matter, however. This is immediately perceived in the moment when the spirit or the soul leaves a living being, be it a small beetle, a faithful dog who accompanied us, or a loved one. Without consciousness, the body quickly breaks down. This shows that all beings have consciousness. Without this, no matter can realize, organize, and come together. This self-organization principle is subject to the effects of any number of forces. Pain, injury, and trauma support decomposition, division, or a split in the organism. Just as a knife splits a loaf of bread, an unkind word divides us. Trauma splits a unity into a multiplicity, leading to entropy (in the physical sense), a process of degradation leading to disorder. The Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann (1844–1906) formulated the principle that nature tends from a less probable to a more probable state. The most likely state is always the greatest possible disorder. However, life obviously contradicts this and simple forms such as protozoa eventually develop more complex forms. Entropy: A measure of the unavailable energy in a closed thermodynamic system that is also usually considered to be a measure of the system’s disorder, which is a property of the system’s state (thermodynamics); the measure of disorder in a closed system (Greek, entrepein, “repent, turn”). The emerging force, the evolutionary force, consists of love and awareness. Awareness means perception and understanding of the parts. If I perceive the individual parts, I understand their relationships and their interaction, which adds to form a whole. For example, if I look at a pile of Lego blocks and see various possibilities in it, I can assemble the blocks into something more complex. Our lives are full of polarities: light/dark, hot/cold, near/far, good/ evil, and many more. We can regard polarities as opposites, but in reality they are aspects of a commonality that contains these parts and out of which the two poles are fed. For example, light/dark is nourished by the light of the sun; hot/cold is nourished by heat energy.
Individual parts show potential. An idea begins to take shape.
The visualized order has been built into a form. There is always a single space that encloses everything that is included in it, including the poles. So, if I stimulate both poles simultaneously from the outside—even our body has these two poles—I create an assembly. In the basic method of hearing regeneration we work with the poles: I can/I can’t; stress/relaxation; near/far; loud/quiet. By stimulating both poles, they connect and work together more smoothly, which refines our overall capabilities. So we work with both aspects of a system. Always remember, if we come to a point where we feel that the process is stalling, that means we are in contact with a traumatic event. The pain of the trauma triggers in us involuntary paralysis, rigidity, and helplessness. To get through the resistance we need movement. The
movements in the exercises of the basic method give us physical and mental information that will help us move into and past the trauma toward resolution, but the choice to engage in them is ours. A walk, a massage, a brief period of rest and relaxation can also help. THE GOAL IS INTEGRATION You have to know a lot to do little. WILLIBALD PSCHYREMBEL, GYNECOLOGIST AND EDITOR OF THE GERMAN CLINICAL DICTIONARY, IN REFERENCE TO OBSTETRICS As we know, the human body is based on certain physical principles and a common basic structure. Your self-regulatory process can lead your body back to its original order, provided that it receives “skillful nonintervention.” Intervention: The act of interfering with the outcome or course of a condition or process (late Latin, interventio, “mediation”) The opposite yet complementary forces of the universe are depicted in the yin-yang symbol of Chinese philosophy.
Consider the yin-yang symbol: much is hidden in this sign. We first see an apparent polarity (light/dark, male/female). In fact, it’s not a polarity—the two aspects form a perfect circle, a common space that encloses everything. This is the order of the yin-yang symbol. The next thing we can see is two dots. They represent the static element of our perception. They show that in each part there is an element of the other. The third thing we see is the dynamics of the yin-yang, which is seen as a wavy line, a sinusoid, which represent a full passage or a full cycle. This symbol is a two-dimensional representation of the interaction between seemingly contradictory forces. A striking resemblance to this ancient symbol is found when looking at a depiction of our cochlea from the front. It carries on its surface 2 points in the form of membranes that receive sound pulses in fluid-filled channels. These run in spirals up to a tip, where they are connected and run through a 180-degree rotation back to the beginning. The cochlear or cochlea viewed from the outside with a round and oval window We always have both static and dynamic elements within us. In the basic therapeutic method, both aspects are present and included. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so efficient. We have the static element in the
form of the static singer or the water noise, which always form a fixed reference point, as does the voice of the partner. And we have the dynamic element of moving through the listening field. That’s how we get our system moving so well. When the process is completed, we have experienced two fundamental aspects of our perception: first, the “front,” the alignment with the sound source, and then—by turning our back to the therapeutic seat—the “back.” There is yet another interpretation of the yin-yang symbol, something universal and something individual. The symbol indicates a law: All energy moves basically as a sine wave. We do not know of another type of energy movement in our physical universe. Perhaps no other is possible. How energy moves overall is the same for everyone. But how this curve looks in detail—if it has a nicely curved, smooth motion, whether it has sharp spikes, or whether a part is overemphasized—that is individual, because there is no law governing individuals. This leads us to another exercise. EXERCISE: Resonance in Movement Follow these step-by-step instructions: In pairs or in a group, the instruction to stand up and then to sit down again is given. Do this 5, 10, or 20 times. A resonance will automatically be created and the movements will eventually converge until all participants are more or less in sync. Comments and hints: If we feel comfortable with the people we’re doing this exercise with, a common rhythm is easily found. If not, it’s good to talk about how each person felt during this exercise and what they were thinking. Resonance with one another in an exercise such as this supports the process of regulation.
Rhythm and movement are the beginning of organization within an organism. When an order impulse is brought into the body’s systems, then all parts begin to swing back together and communicate in a state of resonance. For example, the kidneys begin to harmoniously resonate with the other organs. This is not about saying, for example, that the blood pressure is too high or too low but about understanding why this specific function has decoupled itself and is in a state of dissonance with the overall system. If I jog, then my blood pressure might rise initially, as my heart is pumping harder—my body knows what is needed to expend this kind of energy. When I’m relaxed, my blood pressure drops again. However, it is not conducive to my overall system if I run and my heart does not cooperate by raising my blood pressure. All components of the system must work together and support one another. The better they work together and support one another, the easier it is for me to implement my goal. If my legs get tired because I haven’t used them in a long time, I have to give my legs time to get back into good form through regular training. It’s important to make sure that all the subsystems involved in the movement can work together and feel good, otherwise it places excessive demands on the entire system. BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS We all build protective walls and barricades when we experience overwhelming pain or trauma. This is quite natural. To unpack these experiences for reevaluation, the system must be unlocked. By unlocking I refer to the active process of the person undergoing training to let go of existing (and often painful) tension in the body. These tensions have been built around painful events and are comparable to the tension that we experience in the body when we get scared. The basic method supports this release, so that the events of our conscious perception are accessible again in the form of feelings, images, and thoughts. Because this kind of self-protection around traumatic situations has been established for a reason, there are two tasks involved in unlocking the protection: 1) the initial release to set the processing in motion, and 2)
allowing the listener to determine the speed and processing of traumatic experiences according to their own needs; this can be done quickly or slowly depending on the person. The basic therapeutic method ensures self-determination of the process by the listener and does not encourage speeding up by someone other than the listener. Thus it depends on where they are at physically or emotionally. There should be no excessive demands placed on the listener’s system; the person experiences the process of change and the steps toward improving their listening field on their own terms, which motivates the person to continue to train. Sometimes the listener may not be ready to allow regulation. This may mean that the person needs more time to dissolve the gradually built-up defensive wall, because regulation means that the person must access the painful events that are the cause of hearing loss. Subconsciously, we feel the pain behind the protective wall and want to avoid it. At this point, however, it is not about forcing anything, but instead allowing the process to unfold naturally. A central task of our perceptual system is to duplicate the external reality inside, to process it. It can feel stressful when the map of external reality no longer matches the map of internal reality. Duplicate: Being the same as another; a double (Latin, duplicare) Our aim in this work is to resolve the difference between the perception of the outside reality and the perception of the inside reality. Relaxation is the key to ensuring that anything can be resolved. The man who feels that he no longer hears anything becomes tense. Therefore, relaxation is necessary for a new order to take the place of the old pattern. The reorganization of the listener’s perception is also felt on the physical level, in that energy throughout the system can flow more smoothly. The partner in this process is very important. He provides a framework for the listener, through his knowledge and confidence, to allow the listener to proceed. He is there to accompany and support the trainee in this process and provide a sense of security. For us as partners in this process it is important that we lead the listener through the steps and not stop prematurely because we think results aren’t coming. We must always
follow the trainee in the process, and that includes whether or not the person wants to stop. REPETITION OF THE EXERCISES Knowledge cannot be transferred, it can only be created anew in each person’s brain. Our souls and our bodies need time to process new impressions and insights. Continuous step-by-step training will help you gradually realize what has hurt you and caused a weakening in your sense of hearing. It is like a field full of stones—we can only remove them one by one. By taking the stones from the field and building a windbreak or a house with them, we remove the obstacles that make it difficult for us to produce food and plants. The same is true for training; our soil lies within us, and the stones are our life experiences. Through them we learn and grow, so they can even empower us in some ways. Through this process of removing the stones of our life we rebuild our listening field. The exercises in part 2 of this book (considered phase 2 of training), done at home over a period of 8 to 12 weeks, facilitate the integration of new knowledge so that stability and security can develop and become anchored. It’s understood that we will experience some days in which we seem to have trouble hearing even though we’ve been making overall progress through training. That’s where the repetitiveness of the process is helpful in reinforcing our progress, because those days will pass. That’s why after an interval of 2 to 4 weeks the exercises should be repeated again for a few weeks. This sequence—specific training and a pause—should be repeated several times, as it supports our abilities in many ways, for not only our hearing, but our body’s balance and power are also strengthened. There is a bit of a temptation that you will quickly see a result and then stop. However, for long-term integration and development of what is learned, it is important to repeat these exercises. Although some of the exercises in phase 2 require a partner, this is one central exercise that you can do alone, without a partner.
EXERCISE: Training Solo First I will explain the exercise with a natural, fixed sound source; thereafter, with the hologram of the Naturschallwandler, a natural sound transducer. This exercise is based on the basic method as described in chapter 5, and it complements the earlier training. For the first part of this exercise you will be working with a running water faucet as a natural, fixed sound source. Training with a Natural Sound Source Follow these step-by-step instructions: Set up a chair in front of the faucet with the back of the chair facing the tap. This is the therapeutic seat. Place a second chair exactly opposite at a distance of approximately 2.5 yards, facing the water source and the therapeutic seat; the distance will subsequently vary from session to session, from 1.5 to 4 yards (as room size allows). The chairs should be stable and should not be moveable (as office chairs are) so as to convey a sense of stability and security. Armrests are good but not necessary. Now go to the tap and turn it on slowly until you hear the sound of water significantly. If the sound is too quiet, increase the volume by placing a pot right-side up or upside down under the faucet, or something else “tinny” that amplifies the sound. Walk to the chair that faces the water source and sit down. Close your eyes while placing both feet side-by-side on the floor. As before, go barefoot or wear socks or slippers. Imagine that the sound of water is in front of you, even if you hear it elsewhere through this part of the exercise, the brain trains the first direction). Now take note of where you actually hear the sound and listen to the sound for 3 to 4 minutes. After a few minutes of listening, stretch out your hand to where you hear the noise.
Now open your eyes to check whether your hearing perception is correct (the right place of the sound being directly opposite and to the front). Close your eyes again for about 1 minute. Only if you heard the sound clearly, right in front of you, you can now open your eyes, stand up, and walk slowly toward the therapeutic seat. Turn right in front of the seat and sit down on the chair so that the faucet is at your back. At the same time, remain alert to the sound of the water. If you did not hear the sound of the water clearly, before completing this part of the exercise, start all over again the next day or the day after that. If you do continue because you have heard the sound clearly, once you have settled in the therapeutic seat your auditory perception will be correct if you now clearly hear the noise behind you. This is the aim of this exercise. Listen to the sound for about 30 seconds. Then shut off the tap and again sit down in the therapeutic seat for about 2 minutes in silence. Do this exercise regularly about every 2 days. Comments and hints: If while doing this exercise you think of stressful experiences from your past that are related to hearing, write them down as soon as possible. This helps to create some distance between you and the event. You should use a separate sheet of paper for each experience, adding new recollections over time as they arise. These stressful situations are now more complete and get their proper place in the past. Training with the Naturschallwandler Natural Sound Transducer Follow these step-by-step instructions: Set up the therapeutic listening field. Place one therapeutic seat with its back to the equipment. Use the same setup and music as previously described. Place a second chair opposite this seat, facing
it, at a distance of approximately 2.5 yards; this distance will vary from exercise to exercise, from 1.5 to 4 yards, as room size allows. The chairs should be stable and shouldn’t have wheels, so as to convey a sense of stability and security. Armrests are good but not necessary. Now sit down in the seat facing the equipment, pick up the remote control, and close your eyes. Place both feet side-by-side on the floor. It’s best to be barefoot, or wear socks or slippers. Start the music by remote control. You will begin quietly then slowly increase the volume until you hear the singer well. When you do, set the remote to the side. Just imagine now that the singer is in front of you, even if you hear her elsewhere (through this part of the exercise, the brain trains in the first direction). Take note of where you actually do hear the singer and extend your hand in that direction. Open your eyes to see whether your hearing perception is correct. The place of the singer should be right in front of you, between the two satellites. Close your eyes again and continue to listen. You may have to go back to the first track by means of remote control. Only if you clearly hear the singer in front of you, open your eyes, stand up, and walk slowly to the therapeutic seat nearer the equipment, turn right in front of the seat, and sit in the chair. The equipment will be at your back. In doing so, your attention should stay with the music. If you cannot hear the singer clearly at this point, turn the music volume down with the remote control until it is no longer heard, and then turn off the music. Try doing the exercise again the next day from the beginning. If you have heard the singer clearly, once you have settled on the therapeutic seat your auditory perception will be correct if you now clearly hear the singer from behind you. This is the goal of the exercise. Listen to the rest of the music, then turn it off.
To wind down and relax, as well as strengthen your listening field, you can now listen to one or two tracks from the CD Sources of Healing, or some other relaxing piece of music. Do this exercise regularly about every 2 days. Comments and hints: If you think of any stressful experiences from your past that are related to your hearing, write them down as soon as possible. This helps to create some distance between you and the event. You should use a separate sheet for each experience, adding new recollections over time as they arise. These stressful situations are now more complete and get their place in the past. Progress Takes Time Let’s remember that spatial localization and the balancing of the right and left hemispheres—and thus the entire hearing process—has to be learned by the brain. Don’t force anything, as this process can take time. If the sound source or the music changes position, “moves,” or “jumps,” this is actually a good sign of reorientation in earbrain coordination. It is important that the noise gradually changes its location to the center.
10 Nothing Is Impossible One Step at a Time SERIOUS, CHRONIC PATHOLOGIES OF HEARING such as advanced hearing loss, hyperacusis, or intense tinnitus need a strategy for their permanent resolution. This requires trust, a word that implies certain landmarks along the way. One of those is motivation. Motivation is the key to success. Most people with chronic symptoms of hearing loss have developed a passive attitude toward their condition, understanding it as a loss they can do nothing about. We now know this isn’t true. Understanding the relationship between hearing loss and trauma, and knowing that the resolution of trauma can lead to a healing of the condition, helps to supply the motivation needed to persevere in the process. Ask yourself the following questions: How do your physical symptoms manifest in your life? What trauma do you associate with your hearing loss? How can it be resolved? What do you do in concrete terms? What are the basic methods that support your gaining insight? New decisions can lead to new experiences. If I continue to do the things the way I’ve always done them, then there is no room for change. The decision to embark on a new path is a prerequisite for creating new experiences, new knowledge, and new opportunities.
How do we do this? Set reasonable goals. The road to success consists of individual steps. Also, formulate your overall aim. Every step is important. Life itself is a process and not a state, so it’s always taking a direction. The immediate goal at first is not to get rid of the symptoms or pain of hearing loss but instead to understand the triggering issue and methodically resolve it step-by-step. As you do this, bring back your inherent listening skills through training and build new possibilities. In this case, the goal is to restore the harmony in the brain back to the way it was before the traumatic event that led to the hearing deficit. When we have symptoms of hearing loss over a long period, the brain has adapted to this dysfunctional condition and reinforces it based on the principle “use it or lose it.” This refers to the neurons that are heavily used to react faster and more intensively to acoustic signals. Acoustic stimuli include hugely magnified sound (hyperacusis) or constantly repeating sound (tinnitus). Therefore, an important point on the path to healing— especially at moments when the symptoms are particularly strong—is to do positive activities that have nothing to do with the symptom to strengthen the mental skills to change the pain networks in the brain. Passively waiting until the acute stress is over brings no change. This is not about stress or distraction. It’s about teaching your system, when overloaded, to use the neural networks to connect with positive impulses. An example of such a positive activity is to use visualization. Imagine how it is when the symptoms decrease as the brain shuts down the dysfunctional signal, so to speak—like a dimmer that regulates the intensity of the light. Other positive activities might include treating yourself to a soothing massage, playing a musical instrument, cooking something good, writing a story, juggling, going on a pleasant run, doing tai chi, jumping on a trampoline, playing soccer with children, or just doing something physical, whatever it is that you enjoy. It is important that your activity brings about pleasant physical sensations. This is a process that takes time and a fair amount of discipline, especially to go on even if you’re not yet seeing any positive results. Through the basic therapeutic method we rebuild our original skills that have been lost and process the cause of the hearing disorder. It’s about gaining knowledge, not repressing it. When we experience pain, we sometimes try to push back or endure and perhaps distract ourselves (with activities such as work). This is not a good approach.
Change the brain circuitry to make new connections. Recent findings on neuroplasticity show that significant emphasis must be placed on changing the brain circuits and making new connections. Resist the temptation to divert your attention from the condition, because such diversions only reinforce and strengthen the old
circuits in the brain. It takes perseverance and consistency to make new connections. This means confronting pain and recognizing the facts. Neuroplasticity: The ability of synapses, nerve cells, or entire areas of the brain to change, depending on their use (Greek, neuron, “tendon, nerve,” and plastikos, “to form”). The brain of an adult is not a rigid, fixed organ, but rather it changes constantly, even into old age. New experiences and impressions change the architecture of the brain, build connections between nerve cells, and build bridges to existing knowledge, while little or unused connections are weakened. 1 Repetition brings order and stability. One should not stop until there are results. Reliability generates strength and confidence. The brain is constantly trying, like any living system, to find a balanced, peaceful, actionable state. The problem is that sometimes it reaches a situation where the unconscious and automated systems are not sufficient to resolve a brain-body problem such as chronic pain. In this case we must provide conscious control. The control consists of renewed and conscious learning until the brain and body can continue without this conscious input—until self-regulation takes effect. Repetition anchors the new capability, as the brain circuits are rebuilt or restrengthened. Repetition: A motion or exercise that is repeated (Latin, repetitio, “to repeat”) Our task is to free the brain from repeating the same thoughts and patterns again and again. If we feel that the pain doesn’t stop, the side effect is fear because we see no end in sight. The feeling of anxiety is amplified because pain in the body turns on the amygdala. This area is centrally located in the brain and is responsible for analyzing the potential risk of external stimuli and choosing (albeit unconsciously) necessary reactions. It also influences the release of stress hormones and the vegetative nervous system. 2 Amygdala: A paired core area of the brain, part of the limbic system that primarily serves the processing the development of instinctive responses (Greek, amygdale, “almond”) Vegetative: Unconscious, not lying with the will; dull, monotonous, passive (late Latin, vegetatus, past participle of vegetare, “to live, grow”)
Chronic pain, hyperacusis, and even tinnitus have their causes in the past. However, the pain is in the present. Due to the repetition of the same processes in the brain the dysfunctional pattern is constantly being strengthened. Therefore, chronic pain is also learned pain. The amygdala is the brain structure responsible for the emotional coloration of information. Therefore, it is important to face the pain and recognize the cause. On one hand what burdens us presently and on the other hand what has hurt us in the past could not be resolved at that time, so the task is to dissolve fixed circuits by finding a solution today for what was not solvable at the time when the painful event happened. By understanding what weighs on us, we can find a way to end this burden and thus resolve the pain. That’s the job. Over time, nature constantly changes, creating new pathways.
We must stay flexible and open in the case of resistance; we must recognize the pain and process it. Not only do we want to feel better, but we also want to restore normal brain function. This isn’t about temporary relief but about a longer process of deep regulation. To do that, we need to persevere and recognize that small, steady progress is a sign that the previously rigid system is moving and changing. Finally, we must build our energy by recognizing what’s good for us and abandoning what we don’t want. Without energy, we can’t implement anything; we will have no strength for change and new developments. You can restore your natural way of being. Each person is unique. Find your essence. Here’s a wonderful exercise that you already know that restores energy. EXERCISE: Walking, the Basic Movement of Life Follow these step-by-step instructions: The secret is to go slowly. Find your own rhythm and align your body. In the beginning go walking 3 times a week for 5 minutes on level ground after 5 minutes of gentle warm up exercises. Walk with gentle movements while using your arms, all in a fluid motion. Find your own rhythms. It’s not about going as far or as long as possible, but to consciously carry out the movements of the body: the movement of the feet and legs, as you set the foot down and pick it back up; the movement of the arms; the posture of the upper body; the alignment of the head with the spine . . . Gradually extend this exercise to more days of the week until it becomes a daily ritual. The routes you take can change, sometimes going over rough terrain or going up and down stairs. After walking slowly, walk at your usual pace
Beauty, a shining beacon in the darkness Comments and hints: This exercise is therefore the next stage of the exercise called “Walking Straight Ahead,” which was described in chapter 6. Training our sense of balance by moving over rough terrain and up and down stairs is part of this exercise. By slowing down the movement, the major muscles of this action are addressed, as well as the muscles for the fine control of movement. You will probably feel muscles you would otherwise hardly have noticed by starting out slowly. THE APPROACH OF CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE AND THE FAILURE OF HEARING AIDS To face pain means to learn more about it. Perhaps for a long time we hoped something would happen to alleviate the pain so we’d get better again. Finally, we decided to go to the doctor. We wanted to know about
the cause of the pain and find out what we could do about it. It is useful to be clear about the facts: on the one hand, we may have had a traumatic event, an accident, or an illness that led to a more or less severe hearing loss; and on the other hand, we may have experienced more gradual hearing loss that is usually explained by old age or life circumstances, such as work-related stress. Even if the facts are sobering or frightening, how a doctor communicates those facts can make a big difference. Many doctors today have a tendency to give the worst-case scenario so that the patient doesn’t get false hope and is disappointed when conventional therapeutic measures are not successful. There is, of course, nothing wrong with getting a medical diagnosis. However, when you open the door to the possibility of a positive change, you are beginning the process of self-regulation and true healing. Just because you’ve had no experience with alternative methods doesn’t mean there can’t be improvements and that the last word has been spoken. Even if the functional mechanisms of my ear have been destroyed—which is actually very rare in reality—I still have a second ear. I know that each ear is cross-connected in both hemispheres. This gives me an opportunity to build a functional listening field through training, so that I can move comfortably and safely through my world. Even when there’s been severe damage in the inner ear, particularly in the cochlea (see here), where connections are broken or appear to not function, there is still a rudimentary receiving system in place in the form of the eardrum, ear bones, and cochlea. So before we conclude that no improvement is possible, it’s very important to take the time to examine what can still perhaps be achieved with the existing reception system. Therefore, it should be repeatedly pointed out that just because the classic medical opinion says it’s impossible, each person is unique and contains a natural self-healing ability. So let’s not jump to conclusions too quickly and assume that nothing can be done and that we just have to accept our fate. Hearing is primarily a process of information processing in the brain. Of course, the mechanical parts of the ear also play an important role, but the central role of everything that is involved in the hearing process is often underestimated. Our brain is capable of obtaining a complete picture from just a few pieces of information. If I see an image that consists of
only a few pixels, I can still recognize who the person is if I know them. If I see a simple picture painted by a child, I can say, “This is Mom, Dad, and Sis.” We can make a complete scenario out of incomplete information. This is all the more possible if I have a clear reference point from which I can build the whole picture. For example, if the hairs in my ear are damaged, they are not dead but rather receive less information. Maybe even some of the hairs are no longer functioning, but all of them? We have about 30,000 of them in our inner ear. Do we really know that we have irreparable damage to the hearing organ? “This is just the way it is” is often said, but in fact we do not know for sure. It makes a big difference whether I think, This is just the way it is, versus We might have some damage to the cochlea. Of course, there is damage or a weakening as evidenced by the fact that we don’t hear so well anymore, but does that mean there’s nothing more to be done, that the situation cannot improve? Some of the hairs may be damaged, some may only be bent, and some might be just fine. This is similar to having a weak signal—the signal still carries the complete information, it’s just weak. When I learn how to deal with this weak signal, then I can have fuller hearing and more complete perception. I can understand again what is happening acoustically around me. That’s why conventional medicine’s diagnostic model of broken hairs with related hearing loss is not wrong, but instead we should ask, “How can I learn to hear better again?” The approach of conventional medicine is basically to reinforce the external noise with a hearing aid, making it a lot louder. But with this solution we don’t improve our internal processing, we simply increase the pressure on the organ. This “make it louder” approach that requires a hearing aid means that the spatial localization process and the internal order will not be rebuilt. The hearing aid sends a direct sound pulse into the ear, making everything louder, regardless of where the sound is coming from. Through this purely technical manipulation, no matter where the sound is coming from it is sent to my ear, and always from the same direction. So I cannot learn how to retrain my listening capability. Of course, trying to improve the mechanism of hearing, the organ itself, is good, but the hearing aid cannot replace the complex process that constitutes our natural acoustic sense, and in the end
it will not bring the improvement we had hoped for. This is certainly one of the reasons why 60 percent of all hearing aids end up in a drawer. 3 The increasing weakness of our hearing brings up strong feelings of loss. People who already wear one or even two hearing aids usually have an odyssey behind them. Nobody wants to wear a hearing aid. But at some point you can’t hear well enough anymore, and so the doctor recommends a hearing aid as a last resort. Inwardly, people are usually resistant to the idea and decline the recommendation, but then they come to the realization that they just can’t hear well enough and resign themselves to using a hearing aid. A hearing aid is like a crutch. If there is no other way, then it’s helpful, no question about it. It’s not an either-or. But doesn’t it make sense to find out if I really need the crutch, and when I need it? Is it possible to learn how to hear again through training and to experience a subsequent strengthening? Of course, that is exactly the premise of our approach to restoring hearing naturally. Natural Regeneration through Changes in Life Hearing can be regenerated without special training, sometimes simply by the fact that the living conditions have changed, as reported by a professional musician, Martin Ortner. He wrote to me on August 7, 2017: Dear Mr. Stucki, My acoustic stress began when I was just 15 years old, when I was relatively close to entering my professional orchestra studies, after participating in various musical ensembles that placed a heavy burden on my hearing, as you can well imagine. At the age of 21, in 1976, I earned my first fixed commitment with the Vienna Volksoper. The seating arrangement in the orchestra pit was at that time fixed, as opposed to today when every conductor can determine his own seating arrangement for the orchestra. Thus, the viola group sat on the right of the conductor, directly in front of the trumpets (behind which was the percussion section). The noise of the orchestra was usually loudest in the finale of an opera or operetta. Even for a young musician, it was a great physical and psychological stress, as you can imagine. It was particularly stressful for me because behind us sat the percussion section with cymbals and timpani, as well as the almost unbearable piccolo and the entire brass section, which can make an orchestra sound incredibly loud. In recent years I have only been able to play with specially made silicone earplugs.
By the time I retired on April 1, 2016, I had received a hearing aid, which was generously funded by the Health Insurance Institute. It was preceded, of course, by a specialist medical hearing test, which was confirmed by the Hearing Institute. I must confess that I rarely used the hearing aid right from the beginning. It was so annoying for me. After almost exactly a year, I had my hearing tested again, and after comparing the results of the two tests it turned out that my hearing had apparently regenerated, and in various high frequencies, so that the hearing aid is now completely unnecessary for me. I hope to have served you with my letter. Yours sincerely, Professor Martin Ortner Regardless of how sophisticated it may be, the hearing aid is always a strain on our hearing, as our ears get an immediate and direct sound impulse. Filtering and ordering, as occurs in natural hearing, isn’t possible for any kind of reasonable price in a hearing device. A hearing aid cannot know from which direction the squeal of tires is coming from and whether it’s close by or far away. If a sound isn’t correctly assigned a location, it becomes a burden on our brain. Without the ability to spatially locate, people become disoriented and tense up because they cannot clearly “see” where a sound is coming from. They are often frightened when somebody suddenly comes to them from an unexpected side. Because a hearing aid cannot perform this spatial localization function—and this has nothing to do with the quality of the device—people abandon it almost as soon as they get one. Of course, if I hear almost nothing, a hearing device will provide some improvement because at least now I can perceive sounds that I previously couldn’t hear at all—but it’s still a great burden on my brain. That’s why reducing this burden, through training, makes sense. This view is contrary to the view of many conventional medical doctors, particularly hearing professionals. They will tell you that you should just get used to the hearing aid, and get one as soon as possible, because your hearing could get much worse otherwise. Deciding what you want to do is a personal choice, of course, and you should take your time in making it. Meanwhile, it’s good to know there may be other options.
TRAINING FOR HEARING AID USERS By training with a natural sound source like running water or a natural sound transducer such as the Naturschallwandler, it is possible to raise the hearing threshold again, so that a hearing aid is no longer needed. The aim is to entirely dispense with the hearing aid. This can be a lengthy process that requires continuous commitment. During training, having to frequently switch back and forth from using a hearing aid to not using one, as sometimes occurs with those who have significant hearing loss, is often difficult because your system cannot adjust to the natural and unreinforced state of hearing, which is an added challenge. Depending on the degree of hearing loss, the use of a hearing aid outside training might be necessary. Meanwhile, if the basic hearing test is given without a hearing aid—that is, I can hear in a one-on-one conversation—it makes sense then to have the device with you during training just in case you feel the need to wear it. The following is a conversation I had with Mrs. B., born in 1939, which I recorded. Before I started recording, we talked about her fears and what is possible and what isn’t, and how hearing affects our reality and determines our lives. At this point Mrs. B. had been training intensively for some time with the Naturschallwandler on her own (see pages here). A Successful At-Home Story of Regeneration Mrs. B.: Since training, I suddenly notice little things again. It started with boiling water. This effervescence, I can now hear again. I also hear knocking again, which before was just a flat-like sound. Right now I have my hearing aids in while talking to you, but I usually don’t wear them because I can hear sounds I couldn’t hear before. Anton: To me, it is crucial that you have started training by yourself. Mrs. B.: What else can possibly change? But I also got guidance from Mrs. H. [a hearing tech trained by Anton Stucki] that was important. Anton: What was that? Mrs. B.: Mrs. H. knows the developmental steps for the procedure when you do it alone; she knows them exactly. As a lay person you don’t know them. That was
very helpful. Right now I can work on training on my own. I don’t need a guide because the procedure runs in me! Anton: It’s important to get out of the downward spiral of thinking there will be no change, and then you realize, “Ah, something changed,” and a new way of thinking and feeling begins. Mrs. B.: The world has expanded for me again. Last year, I couldn’t participate in a course I enrolled in; I canceled it at noon on the first day. I was sitting right next to the speaker but I couldn’t hear anything. Then I thought, No, I’m not doing this any longer, I’ll go back to the hotel—that’s it. It was a very emotional experience, but I made this drastic decision. I went back home, though it was actually a letdown. But it was also, for me, a kind of wake-up call: if I couldn’t go on without hearing, I couldn’t participate in society. Then you came here in the fall. Coincidence? No, a stroke of luck! With my tablet, I found you and even though I did not understand everything you said back then I decided I had to try! THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING GOALS A hearing aid amplifies sounds that are close by more than sounds that are further away. That is why a hearing aid is more supportive in situations where it is loud outside. It is important that we feel secure and safe. Wearing a hearing aid is similar to when you have a broken leg and then must walk on crutches. At some point you have to stop using the crutches and learn normal walking again. You may feel a bit shaky in the beginning. It’s the same with hearing without a hearing aid if you’ve been using one, and it’s important to go through that shaky phase while your system is relearning how to listen. So during this transitional time it is recommended that you always have your hearing aid nearby for security, so that if you do need it it’s right there with you. As a practitioner or a partner helping someone through the exercises, again and again, we have to face our own fears and those of the people with whom we work. When they experience an improvement they may fear that their hearing will get worse again. They are afraid that they will hope again only to be disappointed when the hearing loss returns. This may cause them to not want to begin. Guidebooks, be they by laymen or professionals, may say that hearing loss could get much worse if you do not operate immediately or intervene technically.
Our answer is not “do not worry” or any other form of appeasement. Or worse: “Our system is better than what you know.” It’s not about putting people under even more pressure. In the end, people should believe in the method they choose to help them restore their hearing. We can withdraw at any step. You may need to open the space and give the opportunity for the person to decide for himself alone what he wants to do. And once a decision has been made, don’t say, “Who says A must also say B.” Every decision can be reevaluated at any point. It is only important that a decision is made in self-determination and out of responsibility for the self. Once the energy begins to flow, you can feel quickly and clearly: Is that right, and what do I do now? When you realize your choice no longer feels correct, a new choice is made. Chronic physical symptoms of a hearing deficit like hyperacusis, especially if it’s been going on for a long time and has only gotten worse with the years, have their own long background story. In cases like these there is a series of cascading events: a triggering event, and then another and another. The accumulated weight of all these events is heavier and more oppressive. Because of the amount of stored-up emotional baggage, we can’t realistically expect instant results. The best approach is to gradually build up one’s knowledge and insights during training and always remember that the possibility of recovery is definitely within us. At the same time there are different ways to get to your destination. It’s not necessarily a question of defining the ultimate goal. Sometimes we limit ourselves when we try to articulate something too specifically about the future based on what we know now, so we put it more generally: “I want to hear better again,” or “I want to talk to my grandchildren at our family reunions again, even when they’re noisy.” The main issue is whether you think your goal is at all possible. That’s why it’s important to work at it until you feel, Yes, I can do this—I can reach this goal! Setting small, incremental goals for yourself and achieving them will allow you to develop confidence in the method and the fact that you can heal. However, if we don’t get closer to a target that is too large, it might incur frustration and doubt. When setting goals it’s also important not to be too fixated on a definite timeline, such as “by next summer,” or “by the next family reunion.” That automatically generates the kind of pressure you don’t want
to put on yourself. Instead, formulate a more attainable goal as you work through the process, feel comfortable with that, get to work, and leave the rest to your body’s innate self-regulating mechanism. It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself this: Between where I am now and my ultimate goal, what is the first step (then the next one, and the one after that, etc.)? What will help me feel satisfied that I am making progress along the way? What is something that will strengthen me and yet be a small enough goal that I absolutely know that I can achieve it? Here are some other suggestions for working with goals: Agree on verifiable and clear objectives: If you are a partner in the method, make sure that the person with whom you are working remains realistic and considers the achievement of his or her goals possible. Clarify the foundation for working jointly: The training partner and the trainee should have open communication with the common goal of developing solutions to inner conflicts that are not yet or not completely dissolved. Make clear financial and time agreements: Both the person with their issues, as well as the training partner are responsible for clarifying all arrangements concerning time and money, if there is to be financial compensation involved. It makes sense to discuss these matters before beginning any work together. Clearly state your goals and celebrate them when achieved at each step along the way: If an intermediate goal has been reached, don’t start a new level of training on the same day; instead give yourself time so that what you’ve learned can be integrated and celebrated. IN THE HERE AND NOW, EASILY The ear is the way to the heart. MADELEINE DE SCUDÉRY
In the end, working with the basic method is about helping ourselves and others come to the here and now with their conscious perception. We achieve this through concentration and focus. Supported through personal contact, touch, and accompaniment. Insights, changes, and solutions to old problems can only be discovered in the here and now, in the present—not in the past and not in the future. Therefore, it is important that we come to the present, even when we talk about the past. How do I feel about it now? What am I thinking now? What do I need to resolve now? If we had had the solution earlier, we would not have had work to do. Being in the moment is enormously strengthened by reading out loud. The following exercise, the last in this book, teaches us to listen to one another and especially to ourselves—so let’s listen to our inner voice! READING OUT LOUD This exercise can be done alone, at home. Follow these step-by-step instructions: Take a book—a book of poetry or prose or anything else you like— and read aloud from it to the sound of running water from a tap or to the sound of music playing on the Naturschallwandler natural sound transducer. Take a different position in your listening field, directly in front of the noise source as well as farther away, as well as both inside and outside the sound hologram. Vary the volume of your own voice as you read: 1 to 2 minutes quietly without straining your voice, then louder, then even louder, interspersing with reading quietly. Vary the volume of the sound source every 5 minutes. Finish the exercise immediately when it becomes tiring, or after about 15 minutes. Do this exercise about every 3 days until you can hear your voice well with slightly louder sound coming from the natural sound source— both farther away and very near.
The goal is to hear your own voice well without being affected by the external noise. Comments and hints: Read a story to other people—especially with children, as this is a nice shared experience. This strengthens our hearing via bone conduction. Hearing your own voice as you read out loud is an aspect of perception by which you can regulate the volume and pitch of your voice and train your hearing. As well, reading aloud is a complex process that supports other functions. The brain must automatically coordinate muscles for speaking, perceive the recognition of words on a page, and process those words as you listen to yourself. This requires focus and increases your ability to concentrate and formulate thoughts.
11 A New Beginning Four Principles for a Successful Life WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY TOGETHER. Thank you for trusting me to present this information, and most of all thank you for having the confidence in yourself to undertake this journey with me. You have gone the full route and have reviewed your own experiences, drawn your own conclusions, and perhaps experienced some ups and downs. Always remember that the only constant is change. We can strive for better at any time in life, which reminds me of the wonderful story The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.1 It doesn’t really matter how old we are, where we are, or how far we have come, we can still set goals and take the steps toward reaching them. What are your life goals? Whatever they are, strive to achieve them! In Glenda Green’s inspirational book Love Without End,2 I found the following four principles that summarize the work that I have presented to you and the core message underlying our work. In my own words, these are: Be the love that you are. What do you like to do in life? That’s a good indication of how your particular special being expresses itself. You are the center of your own life. This view affects the way you think and how you act in the world. Am I the woman, am I the man that I want to be? Don’t compare yourself to others—this is about what you
feel inside yourself. How far have I come? How close am I to what I feel drawn to? Only you can know and realize the answers to these questions. Do the right thing. The philosopher Immanuel Kant put it this way: “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.” In other words, do you stand behind what you think and do? Not from the perspective of the prevailing morality or ethics—this may change in the course of time—but out of your own sense of what is ethical? Imagine that you are the queen or king of your world and don’t need to be accountable to anyone. What would you say? What would you do? The right thing may be a great project that allows you to express yourself fully and honestly, or the right thing may just be helping a neighbor cut the hedge. There are always lots of things we can undertake, so we need to realize we can’t do everything. Choose the right thing and then follow through with consistency and direction. Follow life. Everything that lives will one day die. This makes life precious; a spiritual warrior sees his inevitable death as his constant adviser. The warrior is a man or a woman who seeks self-knowledge and freedom and knows that this is a lifelong struggle. The spiritual warrior is not a soldier, not a recipient of orders. He does not waste time in self-pity but instead uses the time allotted to follow life. He does not depend on superfluous things, his own vanity, or ineffective structures, ideas, and concepts. He tests himself in terms of his growth. It makes sense to deal with the past and to honor it. But we can’t control our lives looking through a rearview mirror. What is given to us now, in the present, is of enormous value. Knowledge and traditions are our roots. They can bind us or they can be the seeds from which we express our life. Our wisdom and experience add to the development of the whole. Children renew the previous generations’ accumulation of wisdom with vitality and purpose; they fulfill what we have set in motion. When it comes to decisions, we need only ask: Does this promote living or dying? Often both are mixed together. Let’s focus on living. If we follow life and living, we will instinctively do the right thing, and if we do the right thing, then we are the love that we express. The principles flow into each other.
Forgive. By forgiving, we leave behind everything in the past that has done us no good. There is no point in getting stuck in things that are not going well or things that others have done to us. You have to forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made, and you have to forgive others for theirs. At the same time we should take care and assure that others no longer harm us or the people in our own family, the people in the neighborhood, and far beyond. Seen from a great distance, we all live in one house, our common home—Earth. Through constantly feeling anger, we keep the connection to something or someone who did us no good, or abandoned or betrayed us. It burdens and distracts us from what we carry inside ourselves. If souls were cars, then a vindictive soul would look like an old scrap heap rattling down the road and carrying or pulling all kinds of unnecessary cargo. Life can be measured in terms of its ease, freedom, and activity. Children often display these qualities. They follow the flow of life, living instinctively, and do the right thing without thinking about it. Harmony between intelligence and forgiveness is an aspect of forgiveness. Simply forgetting doesn’t make forgiveness complete, but understanding what went wrong and how it came about does. Usually something goes wrong because an understanding, a willingness, or an ability was incomplete. By simply forgetting, nothing is solved and those unresolved issues keep repeating themselves. Also, you can only really let go of your grudge when you have realized the part you played.3 Forgiveness is not about sacrificing yourself. Nor is it an act of passive self-abandonment or resistance-free acceptance of abuse. It’s about the release of attachment and blockages, which clears the way for constructive justice. In all this is the opportunity to start over. Tomorrow I must not be who I am today. We can change our life, and we can even change ourselves, and with that our world will not be as it has been so far. Thank you for listening to me, and I wish you luck and success on your journey.
Appendix A Directory of Exercises THE WAY IN WHICH THE EXERCISES ARE ORDERED follow a process that supports our system to rebuild our sense of hearing and develop its original capabilities again. In practice, the exercises convey the feeling of regulation so you can experience what regulation means and how it works. Each exercise will have a different effect on each person; some may be very effective, others not at all. Find out what works best for you. In all of these exercises, it’s not about fitness (although some of them physically strengthen the body) or training a very specific skill. It’s about improving the proper functionality of the body. By this I mean that our wonderful body lets us experience what we need to learn. Making this possible without pain and the competitive need to achieve is important if we are to release blockages and regain our original skills. Take notes on your observations and the results of each exercise. This will be a kind of diary that records your developments and changes. If an exercise is particularly difficult, then resume later, or the next day or the day after that. Force nothing; always follow your own gut feelings. Exercises that you find particularly strengthening may be done regularly, perhaps as part of a personal training program. Most exercises should be executed with a natural sound source or, if available, with a Naturschallwandler natural sound transducer to support the impulse for order. Many of the exercises are done in pairs (listener and partner). It is very important to respect each other’s boundaries. Following are the exercises with details on where you can find them in this book.
Playing Hide-and-Seek How Well Do I Hear? Flying across a Meadow with Arms Outstretched Hearing Someone from Behind Bending Back and Forth Working with a Mirror Breathing Consciously The Basic Therapeutic Method Using a Natural Sound Source The Basic Therapeutic Method Using a Natural Sound Transducer Perceiving a Sound with All the Senses Walking Straight Ahead Balance and Control Finding the Triggering Event Blindfolded Identification of Sounds and Their Location Get Up and Sit Down Massaging the Feet Reflecting with a Tree Resonance in Movement Training Solo Walking, the Basic Movement of Life Reading Out Loud
Appendix B Reproducible Templates
Footnote *1. A list of all exercises that facilitate our relearning hearing can be found in appendix A.
References BELOW YOU WILL FIND INFORMATION on the sources referenced in this book. All of these sources have inspired me in my life and work— people with their particular expertise and unique approach, innovators who have dared to blaze new trails. I used to think that a single idea, a single viewpoint, would not be correct for me if I didn’t want to explore all the works of that author in my field of interest. Today I see things differently. I don’t have to agree with everything that an author puts forward; rather, I can take some aspects from that author and apply only those that work for my life and my way of being in the world. There are many other works that I have found valuable over the years that are not specifically cited below but are no less valuable. In this regard I would like to thank all those who have passed on their knowledge in the form of the written word; their findings are a source of inspiration for all of us. INTRODUCTION 1. Johann Sebastian Bach, Auf der Suche nach kryptischen Botschaften [On a search for cryptic messages]. Deutschlandradio [Germany radio], broadcast on March 21, 2014. 2. Michael Stelzner, Die Symbolik der Zahlen. Die gemeinsamen Gesetze hinter Geist und Materie [The symbolism of the numbers. The common law behind spirit and matter] (Wiesbaden: Verlag für außergewöhnliche Perspektiven [Publishing for unusual perspectives], 1997), 25. 3. Friedrich Weinreb, Schöpfung im Wort—Die Struktur der Bibel in jüdischer Überlieferung [Creation in the word: the structure of the
Bible in Jewish tradition] (Weiler im Allgäu, Germany: Thauros Verlag, 1989), 73. CHAPTER 1. A GREAT START MEANS KNOWING WHERE YOU’RE GOING 1. Rupert Sheldrake, A New Science of Life (London: Icon Books, 1981); Rupert Sheldrake, Das schöpferische Universum. Die Theorie des morphogenetischen Feldes (Berlin: Ullstein, 1983). 2. “12 Hirnnerven—Basiswissen für jeden Mediziner” [Cranial nerves— Basic knowledge for every physician], Lecturio Magazine website, Feburary 19, 2018; “Hirnnerven” neuro24 website [Karl C. Mayer’s website about cranial nerves]; “Nerv (Nervus) vestibulocochlearis,” medizin kompakt website; John T. Povlishock, “Auditory System,” Virginia Commonwealth University e-curriculum website; “Hörbahn,” DocCheck Medical Services GmbH website. 3. See “Arbeitsschutz Tabelle Schallpegel Einheiten” [Workplace safety tables of sound-level units], HUG Technik website. 4. “Tontechnik Rechner” [Volume calculator], sengpiel audio website. 5. Peter Tomkins and Christopher Bird, The Secret Life of Plants (New York: Harper, 1989 [1973]). German: Das geheime Leben der Pflanzen (Frankfurt a. M.: Fischer, 2017). 6. Peter Plichta, God’s Secret Formula (Rockport, Mass.: Element, 1997). German: Gottes geheime Formel. (Munich, Germany: Langen Müller, 1995), 253. CHAPTER 2. RETURN TO THE CENTER 1. Petra Jansen-Osmann, “Der Mozart-Effekt–Eine wissenschaftliche Legende?” [Study on the Mozart effect] Musik-, Tanzund Kunsttherapie 17, no. 1 (2006): 1–10. CHAPTER 3. OUR DESIRE TO HEAR AND FEEL 1. Joachim-Ernst Berendt, lecture in Psychofonie Symposium, University of Zurich, November 27, 1999.
2. See “Cochlea,” DocCheck Medical Services GmbH website. 3. Alfred Tomatis, The Conscious Ear, trans. Stephen Lushington, ed. Billie M. Thompson (Barrytown, N.Y.: Station Hill Press, 1991), 186; German: Das Ohr und das Leben (Olten, Switzerland: Walter (Patmos), 1995), 317. 4. “Tinnitus sonstige hoerbeeintraechtigungen” [Tinnitus and other health claims], Tinnitus-Liga website, accessed November 16, 2017. 5. “Wir über uns” [About us], Deutscher Schwerhörigenbund (DSB) website. 6. “HNO–hals–nasen–oren, Loch im Trommelfell” [throat–nose–ears, hole in the eardrum], Chirurgie portal website. 7. See “Ohrgeräusche: Tinnitus richtig behandeln” [Ringing in the ears: handling tinnitus properly], Apotheken Umschau website. CHAPTER 4. EVERYTHING HAS A BEGINNING 1. Hans Cousto, The Cosmic Octave (Mendocino, Calif.: LifeRhythm, 2000 [1987]). German: Die kosmiche Oktave (Essen, Germany: Synthesis, 1984), 207 and following. 2. Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty, The Rig Veda: An Anthology (New York: Penguin, 1981), mandala 10, hymn 129, verse 2. For this book’s German edition, the author quoted Peter Michel, ed., Rig-Veda—Das heilige Wissen Indiens [Rig Veda—the sacred knowledge of India] vol. 2 (Wiesbaden, Germany: Marix, 2008), 360, second verse. 3. Masaru Emoto, Messages from Water (Japan: Hado, 1999). German: Die Botschaft des Wassers (Burgrain, Germany: Koha, 2010). 4. “Das Wichtigste über die Alzheimer-Krankheit” [The most important thing about Alzheimer’s disease], Deutsche Alzheimer Gesellschaft website. 5. Tomatis, The Conscious Ear [in German: Das Ohr und das Leben]. CHAPTER 6. BEING IN THE PRESENT TO PROCESS THE PAST 1. Deutschlandradio [Germany radio], December 10, 2014.
2. Theodor Schwenk, Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air, 2nd ed., trans. Olive Whicher and Johanna Wrigley, revised by J. Collis 1996 (East Sussex: Sophia Books, 1965), 28–29. CHAPTER 8. EACH SHIP HAS A HELMSMAN 1. The explanations about the brain stem come primarily from notes on July 29, 2015, from the lecture of Gerald Huether in Bad Belzig, Germany. CHAPTER 9. NO PAIN, NO GAIN 1. “Spiegelneuronen” [Mirror neurons], Planet Wissen broadcast July 11, 2014. CHAPTER 10. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE 1. “Neuroplastizität” [Neuroplasticity], Online Lexikon für Psychologie und Pädagogik [Online encyclopedia of psychology and education]. 2. “Amygdala,” Spektrum website. 3. Pirmin Bossart, “Jetzt hören Sie mal gut zu” [Now you listen to me well], Luzerner Zeitung online, April 30, 2017. CHAPTER 11. A NEW BEGINNING 1. Jonas Jonasson, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared (New York: Hyperion, 2012). German: Der Hundertjährige, der aus dem Fenster stieg und verschwand (Munich: Carl’s Books, 2011). 2. Glenda Green, Love without End: Jesus Speaks (Sedona, Ariz.: Spirits, 2002). German: Unendliche Liebe—Jesus spricht (Burgrain, Germany: Koha, 2014). 3. Green, Love without End. German: Unendliche Liebe—Jesus spricht, 403 and following.
About the Author Anton Stucki has always been interested in ideas. First educated in business, he expanded his knowledge by studying physics, biology, mathematics, medicine, and architecture. With this diverse background he began coaching product developers and corporations to help turn their ideas into reality. In 1998 he founded and became executive partner of MUNDUS GmbH, a company that supports and creates economic platforms for innovative ideas that strive to create harmony between humans and the environment. With a focus on responsible and sustainable thought and action, MUNDUS
products encompass the fields of health and healing, prevention, information, awareness, vibration, and healing. Stucki developed the natural sound transducer known as the Naturschallwandler (NSW) and the MUNDUS method of natural hearing regeneration to help people relearn the basics of hearing and listening through physically correct training. For more information and to view a current list of therapists in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland who use this method, visit the Naturschallwandler website, which can be translated into English using Google, under the tab “traders and therapists.” You can contact the author directly by writing to him at: Anton Stucki Mahlsdorfer Str 12 D-14827 Wiesenburg / Reetz Germany
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The High Blood Pressure Solution A Scientifically Proven Program for Preventing Strokes and Heart Disease by Richard Moore, M.D., Ph.D. INNER TRADITIONS • BEAR & COMPANY P.O. Box 388 Rochester, VT 05767 1-800-246-8648 www.InnerTraditions.com Or contact your local bookseller
Healing Arts Press One Park Street Rochester, Vermont 05767 www.HealingArtsPress.com Healing Arts Press is a division of Inner Traditions International Copyright © 2018 by AT Verlag, Aarau and München English translation © 2020 by Inner Traditions International Originally published in German under the title Besser hören leichter leben by AT Verlag First U.S. edition published in 2020 by Healing Arts Press All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The images are from the book Das sensible Chaos by Theodor Schwenk © Verlag Freies Geistesleben, Germany, and are used with permission. This book is available in English under the title Sensitive Chaos. Note to the reader: This book is intended as an informational guide. The remedies, approaches, and techniques described herein are meant to supplement, and not to be a substitute for, professional medical care or treatment. They should not be used to treat a serious ailment without prior consultation with a qualified health care professional. Cataloging-in-Publication Data for this title is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 978-1-62055-893-5 (print) ISBN 978-1-62055-894-2 (ebook)
To send correspondence to the author of this book, mail a first-class letter to the author c/o Inner Traditions • Bear & Company, One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767, and we will forward the communication, or contact the author directly at www.Naturschallwandler.com.
Index All page numbers are refer to the print edition of this title. Page numbers in italics indicate illustrations. accidents, 87–88 acoustics, 29–36 action, 219–21 activities, pleasant, 235 alignment, 145–47, 166 Alzheimer, Alois, 126 Alzheimer’s disease, 126 ambient noise, 190–91 amplitude, 33–34 amygdala, 237 anamnesis, 162 anger, 195 anvil, 17, 197 Aristotle, 83 aspects, 16 assumptions, 199–200 athletes, 211 attachment, release of, 255 autism, 119–20, 126 awareness, 5, 222
Bach, Johann Sebastian, 4 balance, 28–29, 57, 68, 96, 196, 198–99, 219–20 barefoot, 135, 162 barriers, breaking down, 227–29 Basic Therapeutic Method, Natural Sound Source Phase 1, Part 1, 136–38, 136, 137 Phase 1, Part 2, 138–41, 139–141 Phase 1, Part 3, 142–45, 142–144 Phase 1, Part 4, 147–48 Phase 1, Part 5, 148–50, 149–50 Phase 1, Part 6, 151 preparation for, 132–35 Basic Therapeutic Method, Natural Sound Transducer Phase 1, Part 1, 164–66, 165 Phase 1, Part 2, 166–69, 167–69 Phase 1, Part 3, 169–73, 170–71 Phase 1, Part 4, 174–75 Phase 1, Part 5, 176–78, 176–77 Phase 1, Part 6, 178 preparation for, 162–64 bats, brain of, 192 beauty, words of, 123–25 beginnings, 106–8 belief, 199–200 Bell, Alexander Graham, 21 Bending Back and Forth, 68–69 bilateral symmetry, 69, 219–20 birds, 30–31, 32 Blindfolded Identification of Sounds and Their Location, 207–8